Mama's Best Lasagna
User Reviews
5
Mama's Best Lasagna
Description
Mama's Best Lasagna features a two-part sauce: a slow-cooked meat sauce blending ground beef, pork, and a mix of tomato passata, crushed tomatoes, and tomato paste, seasoned with oregano, basil, and subtle sweetness. The meat sauce develops a concentrated savory base after simmering. Alongside, a Parmesan-enriched béchamel sauce adds creamy richness, offering contrast to the robust meat flavors. Fresh lasagna sheets are layered alternately with these sauces and shredded mozzarella, creating a harmonious balance of textures. The dish is baked until bubbly, allowing the flavors to meld and the cheese to melt evenly.
The method includes softening vegetables gently for the meat sauce, browning meats thoroughly, and carefully preparing the béchamel by whisking flour into melted butter and gradually adding milk and cheese for smooth consistency. Assembly involves layering standing pasta sheets with the sauces and cheese in a baking dish before baking. The careful preparation of the sauces and choice of fresh pasta contributes to a classic Italian-style lasagna experience.
The recipe notes highlight preferences for fresh lasagna sheets found in refrigerated sections, but also offer guidance for dried or no-cook noodle alternatives, including pre-boiling instructions to ensure proper cooking and prevent sticking. A small addition of water to the sauce helps the pasta cook through during baking with instant noodles. Pre-boiling dried sheets with oil and cooling them helps maintain texture and ease of assembly.
Ingredients
Meat Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 carrot finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced, cloves
- 24 ounces ground beef
- 10 ounces ground pork or beef
- 24 ounces passata
- 14 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 3 tomato paste heaped tablespoons. I use garlic and herb flavoured.
- 2 beef bouillon cube or vegetable, crushed
- 1 teaspoon oregano dried
- 1 teaspoon basil dried
- ½ teaspoon sugar if desired
- ¼ teaspoon salt season to your tastes
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper season to your tastes
White Sauce (Béchamel):
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup flour all purpose or plain
- 2 ½ cups milk
- 1 cup Parmesan Cheese fresh, shredded
Lasagna:
- 13 ounces lasagna sheets fresh
- 17 ounces mozzarella cheese shredded, fresh
- 2 tablespoons parsley finely chopped, fresh
Instructions
Meat Sauce:
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add in the onion and carrots and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until softened. Add in the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add beef and pork (if using) and cook while breaking it up with the end of your spoon, until browned.
- Pour in the Passata, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, crushed bouillon and dried herbs. Mix well to combine and bring to a gentle simmer. Season with desired amount of salt and pepper (I use about ¾ teaspoon each) and sugar if needed. Cover and cook for about 20-30 minutes, occasionally mixing, until the sauce has thickened slightly and meat is tender.
- Adjust salt, pepper and dried herbs to your taste.
Parmesan White Sauce:
- In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Remove from hot plate; add the flour and whisk for about 30 seconds, or until well blended.
- Place pot back onto stove, reduce heat down to low and slowly whisk in 1 cup of the milk until well combined. Once well blended, add the remaining milk in 1 cup increments, mixing well after each addition, until all the milk is used and sauce is free from lumps. If the sauce is too thick, add a little more milk until it turns into a nice and creamy consistency.
- Increase heat to medium and continue cooking sauce while stirring occasionally until it thickens (about 6-7 minutes) and coats the back of your wooden spoon.
- Add in the parmesan cheese and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper and mix until the cheese is melted through.
To Assemble:
- Preheat oven to 350°F | 180°C.
- Spoon about 1 cup of meat sauce on the base of a 9x13-inch baking dish, then cover with lasagna sheets. (Trim sheets to fit over the meat if needed.) Layer with 2 cups of meat sauce (or enough to cover pasta), 1 cup of white sauce and half of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers (leaving the remaining cheese for the top).
- Pour the remaining meat sauce and white sauce over the last layer of lasagna sheets and top with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden and bubbling.
- Garnish with parsley and let stand for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.ENJOY!
Notes
- Fresh lasagna sheets offer the best texture and are usually found refrigerated; dried or no-cook noodles require pre-boiling before assembling to ensure doneness.
- When boiling pasta sheets, add olive oil to prevent sticking and stir occasionally; cool cooked sheets in water to avoid drying and ease handling.
- If using instant noodles, add about half a cup of water to the sauce mixture to help the pasta cook properly during baking.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 12people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 552 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 552kcal | 28% |
| Carbohydrates | 33g | 11% |
| Protein | 34g | 68% |
| Fat | 32g | 49% |
| Saturated Fat | 13g | 65% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 12g | 60% |
| Trans Fat | 0.4g | 20% |
| Cholesterol | 122mg | 41% |
| Sodium | 820mg | 34% |
| Potassium | 832mg | 18% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 8g | 16% |
| Vitamin A | 1970IU | 39% |
| Vitamin C | 12mg | 13% |
| Calcium | 397mg | 40% |
| Iron | 5mg | 28% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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